Oil filter



Feb. 23, 1937. J BALDWIN 2,071,996

OILFILTER Filed April 13, 1936 WITNESS \TTORNEY Ratenteei Feb. 1 23, i937 7 pairs sires AYE? Application April 13,

I 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filters, and more particularly to oil filters for use with lubricating systems of the pressure type.

Among the objects of the invention may be noted the provision of an oil filter which is characterized by features of simplicity in design, durability and. efiiciency in operation, and which is further inexpensive in'construction and installation; the provision of an oil filter of the stated character, which maybe readily emptied of foreign matter and/or sludge collected from the oil under treatment, and in which access may be had to the filter element for cleaning and/orrenewal in simple manner; the provision of an oil filter in which the entering oil is caused to follow in a path such that heavy particles of impurities or foreign matter are separated from the oil prior to the oil reaching the filter element, thus to reduce the possibility of clogging the filter element. 4 With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and-arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of myinvention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating an oil filter constructed in accordance with. my invention. l

Figure 2 is a top plan view illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken an the line 33 of Figurel.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of filtering element readily adaptable to the type of filter shown in Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 0 indicates a casing adapted to be vertically arranged and have its upper end fully open and equipped with a marginal flange 2 for forming a seat for a head 3, the latter being detachably secured to the flange by fasteners A. A gasket 5 is interposed between the head and flange to provide an effective seal. Formed on and extending at right angles to the head is an attaching bracket 6 capable of permitting the casing l to be readily adapted to a support so that the casing will be placed in a vertical position. The bottom of the casing has formed thereon a drain neck l equipped with a valve seat 8 and a bore 9, a portion of which is'screw threaded to receive a screw threaded plug it towhich the stem l l of a valve 32 is secured. Drain ports l3 are formed in the neck 5 and communicate with the bore 9 between,

1936, Serial No. 14,202

(El. 2l0li3ll) the valve seat 8 and the screw threaded plug it). By threading the plug outwardly with respect to the drain neck, the valve l2 will be engaged with the seat ti thereby closing the casing i against emptying.

' Inlet and outlet passages it and A5 are formed in the head 3, the outlet passage l5 beingdisposed centrally of the head and arranged vertically while the inlet passage- M is disposed horizontally and extends radially of the head, with its inner end terminating short of the center of the head. The passages for a portion of their length are internally screw threaded to permit a the casing. An inlet port i6 is formed in the head 3 and has one end communicating with the passage i4 adjacent the inner end of the latter. The port It opens into the casing l and, by reference to Fig. l, is inclined downwardly of the axis of the passage M, and by reference to Fig. 2, is also inclined laterally of the axis of the passage M, the downward and lateral inclinations being each approximately 45. Hence, the direction of flow of oil entering through the passage M is substantially reversed, with the incoming oil entering the casing at an angle downwardly inclined to the horizontal passage l4, and also laterally inclined with respect thereto.

A substantially cylindrical strainer 57 is located in the casing l and has its lower end closed by a wall it engaged by a coil spring 89, the latterehaving seating engagement with the bottom. wall of the casing.

Mounted on the upper end of the screen ii is an end cap or diaphragm provided with a centrally arranged opening 28 located directly under the outlet passage i5 and secured to the walls of the opening is the ,upper end of a substantially cylindrical screen 22. The lower end of the screen 22 terminates adjacent the wall l8 of the screen or strainer ii. The screen 22 is positioned substantially centrally of the screen ll. An annular offset 23 is formed on the diaphragm and seats in an annular groove 24 formed on the head 3, thereby permitting the diaphragm to-block the passage of oil from the inlet passage it to the outlet passage l5 and compel said oil to pass through the screens ill and 22 before reaching the outlet passage 95. The space between the screens i'l and 22 is filled with a filtering material 25 which may be of any desired character so that the oil after passing through the screen i! must pass through the filtering material 25 before passing through the screen 22. The oil on leaving the outlet passage I5 will be substantially free of foreign matter, such 'matter being left in the casing I where it may be drained therefrom by unseating the valve l2.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the peripheral portion of the cap 20 is sloped or inclined downwardly, such portion being arranged beneath the outlet end of port [6 and spaced slightly therefrom. Hence, oil entering the casing under pressure through the downwardly and laterally inclined port I6 is directed against the sloped surface of the strainer cap 20, such tending to throw the oil outwardly against the circular inner wall of the container 1. The lateral inclination of the port l6 causes the oil to be directed against the aforesaid casing wall at a forwarding angle, that is to say, an angle less than 90. Accordingly, the oil is given movement in a circular path, such movement being hereinafter referred to as swirling movement, with the result that heavy particles of foreign matter are separated by centrifugal force, and tend to fall to the bottom of casing l 'for subsequent removal therefrom.

The casing being readily detachable from the head will permit access to the screens and fil tering material so that said screens may be readily cleaned and new filtering material placed therein when needed' Referring to Figure 4 a modified form of filtering means to be arranged between the screens I! and 22 is shown and consists of a fibrous covering 28 in which is positioned a filtering mate rial 29. The covering is wound into substantially spiral formation and positioned. between the screens l1 and 22, this being clearly shown in Figure 4. The material employed for making the covering as Well as the filtering agent may be of any desired kind.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A filter comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a head operatively secured thereto, the head having inlet and outlet passages therethrough and an annular groove located between said inlet and outlet passages, a filter element in the casing arranged in the path of fiow between the inlet and outlet passages, the filter element including an upper cap having an annular offset and a downwardly sloped peripheral portion, means including said sloped cap portion for causing the entering fiuid to be filtered to impinge against the inner wall of the casing at a forwarding angle, and spring means arranged between the casing and the filter element and operative to yieldingly maintain the offset of the cap seated in the head groove.

2. A filter comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a head operatively secured thereto, the head having a horizontally arranged inlet passage and a vertically arranged outlet passage, a

filter element in the casing arranged in the path of flow between the inlet and outlet passages, the

filter element including an upper cap element having a downwardly sloped peripheralportion,

' and the head being provided further with an inlet laterally with respect to the axis of the horizontally arranged inlet passage whereby fiuid entering the casing is directed relatively outwardly against the sloped portion of the cap element and thence against the innerwall of the casing.

3. A filter comprising a casing having one end open, a removable head closing said casing and having an inlet and an outlet and an annular groove located between said inlet and outlet, a filter element including a cap member having an annular offset to engage in said groove and provided with an opening in communication with the outlet, an inner screen secured to the walls of the opening of the cap member, an outer screen surrounding the inner screen and secured to the cap member, a filtering medium located between the inner and outer screens, and spring means arranged between the casing and the filter element andoperative to yieldingly maintain the offset seated in the groove and thercloyto maintain the filter element in the path of fluid fiowbetween the filter inlet and outlet.

4. A filter comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a head operatively secured thereto,

the head having a horizontally arranged inlet tion with the outlet, an intermediate annular oflset to engage in said groove, and. a downwardly sloped peripheral portion, an inner screen secured to the cap member about the central opening, an outer screen surrounding the inner screen and secured to the cap member, a filtering medium located between the inner and outer screens, spring means arranged between the casing and the filter element and operative to yieldingly maintain the offset of the cap member seated in the head groove, the head being provided further with an inlet port communicating with the inner end of the inlet passage and delivering into the casing above the sloped peripheral portion of the cap member, said inlet port having an acute inclination downwardly and laterally with respect to the axis of the horizontally arranged inlet passage, whereby fluid entering the casing is directed relatively outwardly against the sloped portion of the cap element and thence against the inner wall of the casing.

JESSE A. BALDWIN. 

